


how to make a friend

by Starlit_Chaos



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Developing Friendships, Fluff, Gen, Napstablook's House, No Angst, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Papyrus (mentioned) - Freeform, Pre-Canon, Pre-Undertale, Waterfall (Undertale), this was supposed to be a one-shot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:48:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25196479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starlit_Chaos/pseuds/Starlit_Chaos
Summary: You're is a good sentry, you swear. It's just.. there's some weird noises coming from behind the waterfall.
Relationships: Napstablook & Sans (Undertale)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	1. fallen down

**Author's Note:**

> Massively inspired by the binge i did of simplycarryon's undertale fics.
> 
> Enjoy.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I should mention this is before Frisk falls.

You think it started on a friday, but you’re not sure - time is a slippery thing for you, even more so recently. Not that it mattered anyway. 

You were manning the stall in Waterfall diligently when you heard a noise. Normally, you'd just leave it be - you’re called a lazybones for a reason after all - and you were going to. But then it got louder, and formed into some kind of… tune? You thought you’d just misheard, but then it played again. It was too faint to tell what/who it was, but it was definitely a song of some kind.

Being the attentive sentry you were, you went to check it out.

At first glance, all you saw was the usual. There wasn’t a soul to be seen. But the music grew stronger, and it was coming from… under the waterfall? It was actually pretty good now you could hear it properly, so you started humming along. You'd never been a fan of traipsing into waterfalls scalp first, but it wasn’t as if there were many other options. You sighed, stretched your bony fingers, summoned a bone, and waded into the river.

Dodging rocks was harder than you remembered. You made it halfway before one tripped you up and… Splash! You were on your back, floating steadily faster towards the edge - somewhere you did _not_ feel like going. You were about to get up when you hit another rock - you were going to feel that afterwards - and spiraled off the edge. You were about to use your magic to save you, but _something_ made you pause, and so down you fell.

Just before you couldn’t see the top anymore, a flicker of white flitted in and out of view. Then underwater you were and happy you were _not._ You broke the surface as quickly as possible, and swam as fast as you could to the nearest dry thing.

You’d forgotten how pathetically bad you were at taking care of yourself. Or rather, you hadn’t, but you'd been trying to. You sat there for a while, wondering if you should take the opportunity to find a gift for your big brother or not. Eventually you decided you would - he was awesome and you _were_ here already after all. You were nothing if not lazy.

You started rummaging and while there were some cool things - a packet of sweets for Grillby, a new anime for Alphys, a pack of cigarettes for doggo - but nothing good enough for the Great Papyrus. You figured you should try another mountain, but first - a break. You’d been working hard, and you _had_ found some pretty cool stuff. You’d use the time to think. Or at least, you’d planned to.

The ghost who’d popped out from behind a trash heap made it rather difficult.

They seemed friendly, at least. More scared of you than anyone who knew you was. And… worried? About what you weren’t sure. They looked like the type to be perpetually anxious so it could be nothing in particular, but you felt for them anyway. Their eyes widened as they took you in, but they floated closer nevertheless.

“are you… ok? i don’t mean to intrude.. i saw you fall.... sorry i didn’t help you.. ghosts are incorporeal..”

You grinned reassuringly - you weren’t hurt after all, and no harm no foul, right? “don’t worry about me, buddy. i’m pretty solid, y’know? i’ve got a thick skull, hehe, so no need to get anxious. i’m sans. sans the skeleton. what’s your name?”

The ghost smiled slightly. “hehe.... i’m napstablook... what are you looking for? maybe i can help you.. to make up for letting you fall..”

You grimaced, not exactly sure what you were looking for. It was a nice offer though. They were a nice ghost - if quiet (though you were in no place to judge) - and they liked your sense of humour. That made them okay in your book.

“it’s complicated. my brother, papyrus - you might have seen him sometime? tall, bony, amazing? - is making a battle body, and i wanted to get him something for it while i was here. he’s really cool, and i want to remind him of that. you get it.”

“yeah…. okay… i'll start searching…"

True to their word, the ghost - Napstablook - had floated over to another mound and started looking, unable to move anything but still trying to help. With a groan, you'd picked yourself off the floor and continued looking.

After a little while, the music you'd heard before had returned, slowly but surely. It was coming from Napstablook, or at least from their direction.

You cocked your head, listening intently. It fit them rather well, you thought. It was a song to dance to, a song not for fighting. Napstablook was one of the only monsters you knew whose theme could manifest out of battle, and that fit with their song, too.

You mentioned that your brother could manifest his theme out of battle too. Napstablook startled, their theme stopping, clearly having not expected a conversation. "his theme?... oh… my music is playing… sorry…"

"don't worry about it. _tibia_ honest, i think it's quite good. _spooktacular,_ even."

They smiled slightly, clearly having appreciated the pun. They had good taste, you were sure. Their theme was very good, jokes aside, and they did enjoy your puns. You shrugged, smiling reassuringly, and went back to work.

Time passed, and the ghost's song came back slowly but surely. At one point, you'd spotted an old trumpet and played along, much to Napstablook's surprise and joy.

You'd just started to tire for real when you spotted it. A scarf, tucked away in the corner. It was a little ripped, but once you'd wriggled it out and brushed off the dust you could tell it was perfect. It had Papyrus written all over it. It was a bright red, and rather silky - perfect for a battle body. You folded it gently, and tucked it into a pocket.

Napstablook called out to you, right on cue. "uh…. i think i've found something he may like… i'm not sure though..."

You drifted over to them, slowly but surely. They pointed over to a small container, hidden in a large pile. You pulled it out. It wasn't much, but you could tell your bro would love it just by glancing at the sticker on the top reading "Instant Spaghetti".

You grinned at them, very pleased with their find. They smiled back, having relaxed in the time searching. You sat for a while, resting your aching bones. You didn't have any reason to stay anymore, but the idea of talking to your brother sounded like it would take too much energy right then. 

You never made up your mind because then Napstablook spoke up. "before you go… my house is just up ahead… if you want to visit… not that you have to…"

It sounded like a good idea to you, and you were still too tired to deal with anyone loud, so the alternative was out. You nodded and got up, gesturing for the ghost to lead the way.


	2. pathetic house

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> we get to Blooky's house, and there are stars.
> 
> Tumblr is @starlit-chaos, as always. This was supposed to be a one-shot??? whoops.

Napstablook's house was also similar to them - quiet and unassuming. It was blue, with a mirror image in pink next to it. They looked over and… _something_ flashed in their eyes. There was history there, you could tell. What, you weren't sure not that it was any of your business. They floated through the door, and you blinked. You weren't expecting that.

You pushed the door open to reveal a small room. It was cozy, to put it kindly, with only a kitchen. The tile on the floor were pretty, but other than that not much in terms of decor. There were tapes lying on the floor and a computer, but no actual furniture. You closed the door, and walked towards the tapes.

“what are these?”

“....some songs i’ve been working on… do you want to listen to one…”

You pick up the first tape in response, and a new melody fills the space. It’s good. “you’re very good at this. i could even say… _spooktacular.”_

You look down to the tape, and flip it over. Much to your surprise, exactly that is written in a tidy scrawl. You shrug, and put the tape back down, swaying along to the music still playing. The two of you stood like that for a while, humming along. It was nice.

Eventually, the day’s events caught up and your non-existent stomach grumbled. Napstablook noticed, and glided over to try and make something.

“you must be hungry…. do you like sandwiches……”

You nodded, and Napstablook produced a ghostly-looking sandwich. You attempted to eat it, only to pass through - something you should have expected, in hindsight.

You glanced over at the friendly ghost. They weren’t smiling anymore, and silly as it was, you liked it when your friend - since when were you friends? - smiled. You concentrated, and the sandwich was eaten - a bite-sized chunk newly missing from the corner. You looked over again, and Napstablook glowed softly.

Slowly but surely, an invisible mouth chewed away at the sandwich, and you felt your magic replenish. It was very nice of Napstablook to offer food for you - especially since they didn’t have much left. You made a mental note to do something for them another time, but in the present you were stuffed, and interaction was tricky on your good days.

Napstablook, unaware of your thoughts, coughed quietly.

“after a great meal” you were skeptical - the only person who’d eaten anything was you “i like to lie down on the ground and feel like garbage... it’s a family tradition... do you want to join me? you don’t have to…”

As saddening as it was, you could relate. You were always up for lying down, however, and so when Napstablook “lay down” (you could see them hovering above the ground - being a ghost meant floating through floors if not careful, you guessed) you followed suit.

A veteran napper, you pulled your hoodie off your back and curled it up into a ball, placing it behind your head for maximum comfort and sleep time.

The wood was surprisingly comfortable. So comfortable, you think you would’ve fallen asleep if it weren’t for the _disappearance of the floor- along with the rest of the room._

Somewhere in between you blinking, the entire space had sort of _melted away._ You could still feel the floor underneath you, and if you reached out you could touch one of Blooky’s tapes, but you couldn’t see it. You couldn't see anything at all.

Instead there was darkness. It was similar to the place you went or shortcuts, but what the in between didn’t have were lights. They swirled around the space, glowing brightly and warmly.

“what are those?”

Napstablook looked over at you and said, “im not sure,,, but they look similar to the pictures from above,,, stars, i think?”

You rolled it over in your head. Stars. It matched the lights well, you thought, watching as they danced and swirled languidly. It held a kind of radiance to it, and for a while you let your mind wander, thinking about them.

You'd always wanted to see the sky, and this was the closest you were ever going to get, you suspected. It put a damper on that train of thought, but to see them at all was a wonder. How it was possible was a matter for another time.

You were satisfied not knowing for now, as rare as it was. You'd ask them later.

You lay there for a time, just… taking it all in. Watching as the... stars floated around the room, reaching out occasionally to touch any particularly close ones. Napstablook was humming, you noted absentmindedly. It was calming, and you smiled, feeling more quietly content than you had in months.

Somewhere between one star and the next, you must have fallen asleep because the next thing you knew was being propped up against the wall, stars nowhere in sight. Your skull was sore, but otherwise you weren't too bad.

Napstablook was still there, and as they floated over you saw the concern in their eyes. "are you okay?... you passed out… you've been asleep for hours…"

You forced a grin, and told them something about a long day - you don't remember the details. They weren't entirely convinced, but they let it slide. You pulled yourself off the floor and stood up, leaning against the wall as much as you could without making it obvious.

Napstablook floated around worriedly, quietly muttering to themself - something about you? You weren't sure, but it didn't matter. You summoned your strength, your destination in mind, and-

Blooky turned, looking nervously at you. "hey… i know you were going to magic home.. but if you wanted to… i thought we could walk together? not that you have to.. or anything.."

You considered. You were tired, very tired. But on the other hand, you had been enjoying their company, and who knows when you'd be able to socialise with other people again. Was it worth it?

"sure." you smiled at the ghost, trying to put their mind at ease. "besides, a little walk never hurt _anybony."_

That got a small smile out of them, at least.

You looked around the room, and smirked lopsidedly. "don't think we'll need anything, do you?"

As a shake of Blooky's head confirmed it, you pushed off the wall. You were still very much tired, but you didn't usually go to the dumps anywhere near this long, and Pap would be worried.

That settled it. Off to Snowdin you went.


	3. quiet water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and the ghost walk home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AOCMSOFNSO long time no see! ,,,life. yknow.
> 
> disclaimer the layout of waterfall was based off it's wiki page and want not be accurate...
> 
> also this is,,, still not the last chapter whoops
> 
> <333

The road to Snowdin was a familiar one, albeit one you didn't walk often - shortcuts were handy like that. Each step ached with the well-worn feel of home. Then again, maybe it was just you aching.

You'd skipped a fair amount of the path already, thanks to a small bird. Napstablook had just drifted across the river - perks of being a ghost. It had made you feel a bit embarrassed, hanging from this tiny bird by the rim of your hoodie. Next time you would just shortcut across - one ride was plenty.

The grass crunched under your slippers and you sighed. You were having a nap when this was over, friends be damned. You were tired and your thoughts had started down that road again. ~~Not that it mattered anyway, _nothing you do matters-_~~

Glancing up, you saw your telescope standing in a corner. You'd been planning to paint the lense as a prank, but since you hadn't yet (due to laziness) it still worked perfectly. Maybe your ghost friend would like it?

You pointed it out to them, and they hurried over to it.

You took a while setting it up (knowing full well it was set up already) and used the time to explain how the whole thing worked. You considered warning them not to mess with it before realising that, as a ghost, they would be unable to. ~~So very clever of you.~~

Their reaction was quite heart-warming (not that you'd say so aloud).

At one point you stopped to skim pebbles on the streams surrounding you. You both "sat" at the river's edge, your bony fingers trailing through the reeds and dark water as it flowed gently. It was quiet, and peaceful - much like Napstablook and much unlike your brother, great as he was. ~~Ungrateful trashbag.~~ Enough of that. You got back on your feet, shaking the water off your hand and gesturing for the two of you to continue on.

You didn't notice Napstablook stopping straight away - you were somewhat preoccupied staring at the crystals lining the walls. They weren't very big or bright and half of them were chipped but they glowed anyway and damn if you didn't respect that.

A small voice whispering behind you halted your tracks, and you turned to see the ghost start the echo flower again. The voices are new. 

You'd never bothered to see what they said, but that was beside the point. "I wish that my sister and I will see the stars someday."

Over and over again. Napstablook seemed transfixed by it, staring intently at the glowing blue petals.

You called out to them. "so? don't you have any wishes to make?" 

They spun around and floated over to you rather quickly, pink dusting their cheeks. "just one, but... it's kind of stupid."

You frowned. There was only room for one sad monster on this path, and that was you! ~~Selfish of you, isn't it?~~

You reassured them. "don't say that! come on, I promise I won't laugh." The two of you walked in silence for a while while they thought it over.  
"...if I say my wish... you promise you won't laugh at me?" They looked at you nervously.

Everything was calm and quiet, in direct contrast to the question hanging between you and your ghost friend.

"of course I won't laugh! I only laugh at good jokes. there's _snow way_ i would laugh at your wish!"

This seemed to do the trick, as the ghost brightened a little. "someday… I'd like to climb this mountain we're all buried under... standing under the sky… looking at the world all around... that's my wish."

You laughed.

"... hey... you said you wouldn't laugh at it…"

You ducked your head, acknowledging you had said that. You pulled your (now dripping) hand out of the water and looked over at Napstablook.

"sorry, it's just funny… that's my wish, too." You smiled as warmly as you could manage, trying to convey to them that you _did_ really like it.

They smiled, looking (for the first time since you'd met) truly relaxed. You realised then that you'd sat down sometime during the conversation but you didn't mind. Instead you gestured for Napstablook to join you on the floor, grinning as they did so.

The two of you, once again, sat there for a while. It was almost enough for you to fall asleep, but this was your first meeting _still? Weren't they tired of you yet_ and you had some manners.

"what were you doing by the waterfall?" You glanced over to the ghost, before looking back up at the crystals. 

Napstablook shifted over, giving up on "sitting" and lying down instead. "uh… i wanted to see what was up there… i don't see others much…"

Wasn't there a pink house next to theirs?

...You decided not to ask. It wasn't any of your business anyway.

You shifted awkwardly, only to catch a glimpse of the bridge seeds up ahead. You stood up - creaking as you went - and waved for the ghost to follow you.

Someone kind had already solved the puzzle, so instead the two of you hopped from flower to flower, soaking your slippers in the process. You'd nearly made it to the end when you lost your balance and slipped, almost falling in. This time you didn't freeze up, however, and used your magic to prevent getting soaked.

"that was close! now c'mon, we're close… _water_ you waiting for?" 

Napstablook let out a tired chuckle (Huh. Maybe you weren't the only one exhausted by socialising…) and ambled over to you. "not much further now…"

You waded through the tall grass, and… _home._


End file.
